Crystallization Robot

A Robotic Crystallization Module, in which microgram quantities of protein (bar coded) will be screened, using robotics and mirco-arrays, against 50-100 sets of conditions known to produce protein crystals. A high throughput robotic crystallization system, capable of screening 1000 conditions per hour using less than 300 micrograms of protein (10 mg/ml), is currently under development at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

ANCS AND RECIPEMAKER — STATUS REPORT

The automated nanoliter crystallization screening (ANCS) system is now working but there remain a number of technical issues that must be resolved, including dispensing viscous solutions, and tip clogging. In an effort to get our system operational as soon as possible, we divided the dispensing between two systems, one for nanoliter volumes (protein and crystallization agent to be mixed with the protein) and the second for the reservoir solutions (we call this the recipe maker). These two systems are shown in figures 1 and 2 below:


Figure 1. A view of the nanoliter dispensing head of the ANCS.